Ceiling supporting strap



May 12, 1931. R. E. KELLEY 1,804,420

CEILING SUPPORTING STRAP Filed Jan. 15, 1930 Patented May 12, 1931UNITED STATES RAYMOND E. KELLEY, F BUFFALO, NEW YORK CEILING SUPPORTINGSTRAI Application filed January 13, 1930. Serial No. 120,385.

This invention relates to a strap for supporting metal lath suspendedceilings or the like and method of applying the same and is moreparticularly directed to such straps which form a permanent part of thebuild ing structure and are used in supporting a metal lath suspendedceiling from the next succeeding. higher floor, the intervening spacebeing used for pipes, electric wiring 1 and other conduits.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide such astrap which is made of two parts, one part being anchored in the floorand depending therefrom and the other part being secured to the anchoredpart when the ceiling is being fabricated A further object is to providesuch a strap in which the supported part of the strap is quickly andeasily applied and when applied forms a reliable and strong support forthe ceiling and will not loosen so as to permit the ceiling to sag orfall.

A further purpose is to provide such a connection in which the supportedstrap can be positively locked in engagement with the anchored part ofthis strap and in which this locking is effected quickly and easily andin the shortest length of time.

A still further object is to provide such a two part strap forsupporting ceilings or the like in which the strap used as the supportedmember can be cut to length and formed on the job, thereby avoiding awaste of material. This is particularly important in sloping ceilingswhere each strap is of different length, the anchored straps in thepresent invention being all of the same lengths and the supported strapsbeing each individually cut to the necessary length.

Still further objects are to provide such a strap and method of applyingthe same which is simple and inexpensive in construction, is quicklyapplied and which forms a permanent and reliable part of the buildingstructure.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a cross section of a poured con- .crete reinforced fioorshowing a ceiling suspended therefrom by straps made and ap- 0 pliedill-5160011131106 with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the straps shown in Fig. 1showing the connection between the two parts and the supported straplocked against displacement.

Fig. 3 is an edge View thereof.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 44, Fig. 1 showing the supported strapbeing applied to the anchored strap.

Similar characters of reference indicate like parts in each of theseveral views.

In its general organization this invention proposes a strap forsupporting ceilings or the like which consists of an L-shaped anchoringstrap, one arm of which is embedded in a concrete floor and the otherarm of 5 which depends from the floor and is provided with a pair ofheaded rivets and a laterally extending lip and a supported strap whichis provided with a pair of inverted keyhole slots, these slots beingadapted to receive the headed rivets and the lip being adapted to behammered down so as to engage the end of the supported strap and preventits upward displacement. The supported strap is cut to length on the joband its lower end is formed into a hook which is adpated to receive oneof the load bearing members of the ceiling.

The floor 5 is shown as composed of poured concrete having reinforcingbars 6 embedded therein and being formed to provide beams 7 whichstrengthen the floor. While a poured concrete floor is shown it will beunderstood that the invention is also applicable to other types offloors such as hollow tile floors in which the tiles are placed in.position with concrete poured around them. Before the concrete is pouredand while the form boards, indicated by dotted lines 8, are in place,the anchoring straps 9 are set in position. These straps are generallyof L-form having a short leg 10 and a long leg 11. The short legs 10 arehung over one of the reinforcing rods 6 and the long leg 9 is passedthrough the crack or opening between the form boards so that the longleg 11 is suspended from the form boards. These anchored straps are, ofcourse, uniformly spaced in rows.

The'concrete is then poured in the form n.

and after it has set the short leg 10 and the bend of each anchoringstrap 9 is firmly is punched outwardly from that side of jthe anchoringmember on which the heads of the rivets 12 are disposed. This lip ispunched out a substantial distance to the position indicated in Fig. 4.The supported strap 17 is made of strap metal and is out toapproximately the desired length. The supported strap 17 is then punchedso as to provide a pair of inverted keyhole slots 18 at one end, thereduced parts 19 of these keyhole slots extending toward the adjacentend of the strap. The workman then slips this end of the supported strap17 up over the lip 16 as indicated in Fig. 4. In this position the heads13 of the rivets 12 are in a position to pass through the large parts ofthe keyhole slots 18. The supported strap is'then swung inwardly againstthe side of the anchoring strap 9 and is dropped so that the shanks 14of the pair of rivets 12 enter the reduced parts 19 of the keyholeslots. In this position the supported strap is reliably suspended fromthe anchoring strap and to lock these parts against displacement the lip16 is hammered down until its end engages the upper end of the supportedstrap 17. This positively prevents upward displacement of the supportedstrap, as indicated in Fig. 3 and thereby provides a permanent,connection between the straps.

The lower ends of the supported straps 17 are then all marked off to thesame length. This is done by means of a water .level in the usual andwell-lmown manner. These lower ends are then bent into hook form, asindicated at 20, the marks being used to determine the initial bend ofthe hook 20. The upper channel bars 21 of the suspended ceiling 22 arethen placed in these hooks 20 and, if desired, can be firmly wiredthereto. The lower channel bars or load bearing members 23 are thenplaced against the under sides of the upper channel bars or load bearingmembers 21 and at right angles thereto and can be secured to the u perload bearing members 21 in any suitable manner, as by wires 24 whichpass around all of the load bearing members at their places of junction.The metal lath 25 is then applied to the under side of the lower loadbearing members 23 in any suitable manner and the laster 26 is appliedto the under side of th s lath.

While in the form of the invention shown the rivets 12 are shown appliedto the anchored hanger 9 and the keyhole slots 18 in the supported strap17, it is 'ap arent that these can be reversed if desired. hat is, theheaded rivets 12 can be .ap lied to the supported strap 17 and theeyhole slots 18 punched in the anchored hanger '9 if conditions warrant.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the present invention provides asimple and inexpensive strap which can be easilyand qulckly applie witha minimum waste'of materials and in very short time and in which theconnection between the anchoring stra and the supported stra is strongand rehable and t e sup orte stra is positivel held against disp acementtl iereby provid ing a permanent connection between these parts.

I claim as my invention:

1. A strap for supporting ceilings or the like, comprising an anchoringstrap, a supported strap, means for suspending said supported strap atone side and from the lower end of said anchoring strap, and a lipformed to extend outwardly from the side of said anchoring strap, saidlip being adapted to be bent to a position across the upper end of saidsupported strap toprevent displacement thereof.

2. A strap for supporting ceilings or the like, comprising an anchoringstrap, a supported strap, means for suspending said supported strap atone side and from the lower end of said anchoring strap, and a lipformed to extend outwardly from the side of said anchoring strap, saidlip projecting outwardly a substantial distance to permit said su portedstrap to be attached to said suspen ing means and being adapted to bebent inwardly to a position across the upper end of said supported strapto prevent upward displacement thereof.

3. A strap for supporting ceilings or the like, comprising an anchoringstrap, at least one headed lateral projection at the lower end of saidanchorin strap, a supported strap having, an inverted eyhole slot at itsupper end receivin said headed projection and means carrie by one ofsaid straps and movable into coactlng relation with the other strap toprevent upward displacement of said supported strap.

4. A strap for supporting ceilings or the like, comprlsing an anchoringstrap, a pair of headed rivets projecting outwardly from one side and atthe lower end of said anchoring strap, a supported strap having a pairof inverted keyhole slots at its upper end receiving said headed rivetsand a lip formed to project outwardly from the lower end of saidanchoring strap, said lip being adapted to be bent to a position acrossthe upper end of said supported strap to prevent upward displacementthereof.

5. A strap for supporting ceilings or the 6 like, comprising ananchoring strap, a pair of headed rivets projecting ou wardly from oneside and at the lower end said anchoring strap, a sup orted 'straphaving a pair of inverted keyhole slots at its upper end re- 1 ceivingsaid headed rivets and a lip formed to pro ect outwardly from the lowerend of said anchoring strap, said lip being initial- 1y bent outwardly asubstantial distance to permit said supported strap to be moved to enage said rivets in said ke hole slots and being adapted thereafter tobent inward 'ly to a position across the upper end of said supportedstra thereby to prevent upward displacement t ereof.

2 6. A method of making a strap for suspending a ceiling from a floor ofconcrete or the like which consists of bending an anchoring strap intoL-shazpe, providing a lateral projection at one si e o the end of onearm of said anchoring strap, embedding the other arm in said concretefloor, cutting a supported strap to the desired len h, punching saidsupported strap to provi e an 0 ening to receive the projection on saidanc oring strap, sus en ing said supported strap from said anc orinstrap an forming a hook at the lower en of said sup orted strap toreceive the load bearing members of said ceiling.

7. method of making a strap for suspending a ceiling from a floor ofconcrete or the like which consists of bending an anchoring strap intoL-shape, providing a laterally projcctmg headed rivet at one side of thelower arm of said anchoring strap, punching said anchoring strap toprovide a ip above said rivet an projecting in the same direction,embedding the other arm of said anchoring strap in said concrete floor,cutting a supported stra to the desired length, punchin an invertkelyhole slot at the upper end 0 said an porte strap, passing the upperend of sai suspended strap up under said and enga g its keyhole slotwith said he ed rivet, gizmmerin said lip inwardl to a position over theen of said supporte strap to prevent upward dis lacement thereof andforming a hook at the ower end of said suported strap to receive a loadbearing memr of said ceiling.

In testimony w ereof I hereby aflix my signature.

' RAYMOND E. KELLEY.

